Combination altar and bookcase



Dec. 5, 1961 D. G. HAssoN COMBINATION ALTAR AND BOOKCASE 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed May 8, 1959 United States Patent O 3,011,848 COMBINATION ALTARAND BOOKCASE Don G. Hasson, Le Roy, Minn. (403 S. 2nd St., Beresford, S.Dak.) Filed May 8, 1959, Ser. No. 812,009 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 312-33) Thisinvention relates to furniture and more particularly to combinationfurniture which may be used in two or lmore capacities.

An object of the invention is to provide a bookcase which is easilyconverted to an altar by simple manipulations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanically simplearticle of furniture having the dual purpose of serving as a bookcase ora cabinet to store an indefinite variety of articles and objects, butwhich is very easily converted to an yaltar which includes a kneeler,together with a panel on which to support a sacramental such as acrucifix directly in the line of vision of the person using the kneeler.

Another object of the invention is to provide a practical device of thenature described wherein the furniture article has a very clean and neatappearance made so by virtue of the construction thereof.

These together with other objects yand advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to llike parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the combination article of furniture.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the construction in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view of the furniture showing it in theposition in which it is used as an altar.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the furniture inFIGURE 3.

In the accompanying drawings there is an article of furnitureconvertible between a cabinet, for instance a bookcase, and an altar.The combination furniture article has side panels 12 and 14, a rearpanel 16, together with a pair of doors 18 and 20 at the front thereof.The doors have door pulls 22 and 24 at a convenient place near theconfronting edges thereof, together with hinges 26 connecting the doorsto the front edges of side panels 12 and 14. .The doors are full lengthfrom a transverse front panel 30 to approximately floor level. One ormore shelves 32 are secured within the cabinet and closed by the sidepanels, rear panel and door assembly. Shelf 32 is horizontal and locatedbeneath upper panel 34 and lower shelf 36 which subdivides the cabinetinto a book or other article receiving chamber 38 and a kneeler chamber40.

Kneeler 42 is preferably padded and includes a kneeler base 44 havingpadding 46 of any type thereon, together with at least a pair of frontlegs 48 which depend from kneeler base 44. It is preferred that thekneeler be made substantial and for this reason it is within the purviewof the invention to have rear legs as well as front legs 48.

In either case, the legs are laterally inset (FIGURE 1) from a pair of:horizontal rails 52 and 54 which are xed to the inside of side panels12 and 14 in kneeler chamber 40. The edge portions of base 44 slide onthe rails S2 and 54 when doors 20 and 18 are opened, to constrain themovement of the kneeler from positions located completely within chamber40 to a position at which the vast majority of the kneeler 42 is on theexterior of the chamber 40 and in front of the chamber 38.

The upper part of the combination furniture has an upwardly opening-tray 60 lined with a cloth liner 62 (other materials for liners 62 maybe adopted). The

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front panel 30 constitutes part of the tray and the upper panel 34constitutes the bottom of the tray. There are side panels 64 and 66constituting the sides of tray 60 and a rear panel 68 completing thetray structure. Upwardly opening apertures 69 are in side panels 64 and66 to receive stems 70 of votive light 72 holders 74. Two or more ofsuch lights may be used, and as shown in FIG- URE l the upwardly openingtray 60 is suggested as storage for these votive lights.

The top or cover of the combination furniture is attached by one or morehinges 82 along its rear edge to the upper part of panel 68. Links 84are connected by hinges 86 to the top 80 and they have notches 88 neartheir lower ends engaged with pins 9i) which are lixed to side panels 64and 66 to hold the cover in the elevated position (FIGURE 3). The innersurface 92 of top or cover 80 may be used to accommodate any appropriatedevice, figure, sacramental or the like. For instance, cross 94 asshown, this diagrammatically representing any type of similar ordissimilar object.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further ex planation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

Convertible furniture designed `and adapted to be used as an individualaltar and, in addition, as a bookcase comprising a vertically elongatedcabinet open at the front and provided at said front with readilyopenable yand closable door means, said cabinet embodying a rear wallconnected with side walls and said walls combining with the door meansand a horizontal top wall in defining an enclosed space, horizontalvertically spaced shelves mounted in said space one above the other anddefining selectively usable compartments, there being a lower shelf andsaid lower shelf being spaced above the bottom of the overall cabinetand defining a storage space therebelow, said side walls beneath saidlast-named shelf and in said storage space being provided with opposedspaced parallel horizontal rails, and extensible and retractible kneelerhaving a base with padding superimposed thereon and providing alow-lying kneeling bench, said base being provided at outward forwardcorners with short depending supporting legs and said legs being spacedinwardly from adjacent transverse ends of the base and permitting endportions of the base to overhang the legs and to provide supportingguides, said supporting guides resting on said rails and serving topermit the kneeler to be stored in an out-of-the-way position orwithdrawn to an extended usable position, and opstanding marginal wallsat front, back and side portions defining a shallow tray for storage ofreligious articles, said tray being provided with a hingedly mountedpanel and said panel constituting a lid for the tray and also beingadapted to be swung up to a vertical position `and supported temporarilyin that position and being provided on an obverse face with a crucifixor the like.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,290,577 Stimson July 2l, 1942 2,348,472 Hart May 9, 1944 2,495,374Horn Jan. 24, 1950 2,731,318 Hoif Jan. 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 9m n16Switzerland Sept. 30, 1938

